


Eyes Like Flashlights

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Bigotry & Prejudice, Dean is the only non-wizard in the above mentioned, Frottage, M/M, Magical Items, Smut, Urban Magic, Witch Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-17 03:52:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2295671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The city is divided into two factions - Naturals, those born an innate ability to tap into the magic of the city, and Mundanes, those who aren’t.</p><p>Castiel Novak is a Natural from a large family of Naturals. They discourage Castiel to even look in the direction of Mundanes, for he is above their class standing. He grows up feeling isolated - he never fit in with his family, never felt the hatred that they did towards Mundanes, and he was never allowed to try seeing things the other way. He leaves them at twenty-five and starts living as a Mundane, keeping his powers a secret.</p><p>Dean Winchester is a Mundane in a family of Naturals. He’s excluded from his family and kicked out at eighteen. Ten years later, he finds a ring that finally gives him the powers he always wished for as a child. </p><p>Sparks fly when they meet - literally - at a Mundane club. They’re drawn to each other instantly, and quickly start an electric affair. But they’re both harbouring secrets - Cas’ magic and Dean’s lack of it. Fighting against the power of the city’s magic and the long reach of their families, can they find a way to make it out together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Castiel closed his eyes and felt the power run through him. Even here in his rundown apartment, he could feel it, and it might have been his imagination but it almost felt stronger.

For a moment he could forget where he was, _who_ he was, and just listen to the thrum of the city nightlife. He’d been living in the apartment for a month and was only now connecting with the energy, different from his family’s mansion just outside the city limits. _Better_ , he reminded himself.

He shook himself out of the reverie and grabbed his overcoat, tossing it on over his suit and walking out into the night without bothering to lock his door. The lock didn’t always click, anyway, and he didn’t have anything worth stealing inside.

Castiel took the stairs on his way down because the elevator was older than him and though he _could_ use magic to make it run smoothly, the building was for Mundanes, and people would notice if the elevator always worked for him.

He picked his way through the humid and dirty streets, giving lovers in alleys a wide breadth as he walked in the direction he’d been told he could find a good Mundane nightclub. He found that it wasn’t far from his apartment, and the glowing neon sign was visible from almost a block away. When he got to the door, he flashed his ID – fake, stating that he was Mundane – and was let in easily. Castiel assumed that the security guard hadn’t been looking very closely at all because on his ID it listed his occupation as _bikini inspector_ , which was a practical joke thanks to his older brother Gabriel who’d made him the card when he was still a teenager.

Inside, the lights are low but there were coloured strobes flashing in artificial fog. Castiel knew people, himself included, who could create fog like that with only a thought, but no one like that was here except for him. He found a seat at one of the tables around the dance floor, not yet feeling inclined to join the gyrating mass of bodies. After a drink or two, he considered, though he knew that he would probably spend the night just watching.

A man caught his eye, moving between the bodies with a startling grace. The man twisted and turned, running his hands up arms and backs, hips and thighs, and Castiel was enraptured. After a few minutes of watching, the man caught his eye and grinned at Castiel’s watchfulness, breaking apart from the group and walking over to his table.

The man grinned. “I’m Dean. You?”

Castiel licked his lips. “Jimmy,” he said, the lie rolling off his tongue easily.

“Good to meet you, Jimmy. Wanna join me?”

He shook his head. “I’m not one for dancing. I haven’t even had a drink yet.”

“How about we change that?” Dean offered, gesturing towards the bar. Castiel followed him and Dean gestured towards the bartender as they sat down and ordered them two beers. He then turned back to Castiel. “Come here often?” he smirked and then suddenly looked horrified. “Oh my God I’m sorry that was awful. That was the worst pick up line I’ve ever used. I’m sorry.” He moved and put his head in his hands.

Castiel laughed. “It’s endearing,” he promised, reaching over and taking one of Dean’s hands to remove it from his face. The second their skin touched it was like they’d completed a circuit, electrons jumping from one body to the next. A spark. They looked at each other, dumbstruck, and then each let out a nervous laugh.

“Sorry ‘bout that, too,” Dean murmured.

Castiel couldn’t help his smile. “I forgive you.”

**

They were still at the bar two hours later, happily drunk and laughing. Castiel could almost forget his entire persona was a lie and just enjoy the attractive man next to him.

Dean wiped a tear from his eye and sat up, suddenly looking at Castiel with intent. “What do you say we go back to my place?” he offered.

Castiel nodded, because suddenly there didn’t seem to be any better idea than that. “Yeah,” he agreed, heaving himself from his stool. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Dean stood up and they walked out together. When they were out the door, Dean threw an arm around Castiel’s shoulders. “I just live right here. Like… like, right here,” he muttered, leading them down a street that was adjacent to Castiel’s own. They arrived at a townhouse and Dean pushed open the gate, then fumbled with his keys and finally managed to fit them into the lock.

They were barely in the door when he was pushing Castiel against the wall and kissing him.

“We should go upstairs,” he suggested. Castiel agreed and was lead up to the second floor and into a small bedroom, not bothering to look around him as they went. “Why do you wear so many layers,” Dean muttered, pushing off Castiel’s overcoat and suit jacket.

“I get cold easily,” Castiel told him, similarly attempting to divest Dean of his jacket. They got shoes and pants and shirts off before they just stood there in the dim light filtering in through the dirty window, looking at each other.

“I’m tired,” Dean said with a laugh. “And drunk.”

“Sleep?”

Dean ran a hand through his hair. “I haven’t actually, you know… _slept_ slept with someone in… pretty much forever.” He laughed. “Can’t believe I just said that to a stranger, wow.”

“I don’t think we’re strangers,” Castiel murmured, moving towards Dean and wrapping his arms around him sloppily. “Sleep.”

Dean rested his forehead against Castiel’s shoulder. “Sleep,” he agreed.

**

Castiel woke up to a pounding headache and a warm weight on his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and flinched as sunlight poured in, groaning involuntarily.

“What’s goin’ on?” said the warmth against him.

“Nothin’ go back to sleep,” Castiel answered.

The warmth shifted and moved away even as Castiel tried to hold on tighter. It laughed. “You’re clingy in the mornings. Huh.”

“Need coffee.”

“Well, we got that in common. But you gotta let me go first.”

Castiel considered his options and then opened his arms so that his partner could get coffee. He could almost hear them rolling their eyes.

“Not a morning person?”

Castiel was already back asleep.

**

When he woke up for the second time that day, there was a glass of water and a Tylenol on his bedside table. He took the medication gratefully and gulped down the water before pulling himself out of the bed and walking down unfamiliar stairs. He found the man from last night – Dean, he recalled – in the kitchen.

“Coffee?” he asked.

Dean laughed and leaned against the counter, holding out a chipped mug. “There’s your human juice; you’re welcome. Drink up.”

Castiel accepted it gratefully and felt a shiver run down his spine as he took the first sip and felt his nerves light up like stars. He could feel the ingrained magic in even the coffee beans and it helped his mind come back to itself.

“Thank you,” he murmured when the cup was half gone.

“No problem.” Dean pushed himself off the counter. “Do you want to go get breakfast somewhere or do you want me to make pancakes here?”

Castiel considered the options. “Here, please.”

“Then you’re in for a treat; my pancakes are _world famous_.”

“I doubt it,” Castiel scoffed.

Dean shrugged. “You’ll just have to find out for yourself, won’t you? I promise; they’re life changing. Honest.” He put his hand on his heart.

“Then you should get to making them.”

**

As soon as he left, Castiel wanted to call Dean again and set up another meeting – a real date, maybe. But as he entered his apartment, his lie came crashing down on him. Dean didn’t even know his real name, or many real facts about him. He sighed and took the small note paper out of his pocket that had Dean’s phone number written on it and crumpled it up before tossing it in the trash. A flick of his wrist sent the papers inside on fire. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Avoiding Dean was an easier thought than it was an action – he’d gone a month before meeting the other man and suddenly he was everywhere. Castiel was only lucky that he could always spot Dean before he was spotted – at the book store, the coffee shop, and anywhere else he went. He didn’t return to the club.

Castiel’s luck ran out two weeks after his initial meeting with Dean.

“Jimmy! There you are,” called a familiar voice from behind him.

Castiel quickly put the book he was holding down and moved away as if he hadn’t heard.

“Hey! Hey, Jimmy!” the voice tried again. Castiel walked faster but apparently Dean started jogging and grabbed on to his overcoat. “What’s up, man? Why didn’t you call me?” he suddenly looked vulnerable. “I thought… well, I thought I’d like to see you again. Thought you did, too.”

“I’ve just been… busy,” he murmured.

“With what?”

Castiel opened and closed his mouth, unable to come up with an answer.

“You know what, I’ll just go,” Dean murmured.

“No, wait!” Castiel called, reaching out and cursing himself at the same time. He _didn’t_ want to call Dean back, but he couldn’t stop himself. “I’m sorry. I… panicked?” A nervous laugh escaped his throat. “I don’t normally stay the night with people I just met, and you were very interesting. I would like to get to know you more, Dean. And I do recall that you didn’t call me, either.”

Dean blushed. “Tonight? Come to my house at six and we can go see a movie?”

Castiel nodded. “That would be nice.”

 ***

For the first time, Castiel regretted breaking all his ties with his family. He wished more than anything that he could talk to his sister Anna and ask her what was appropriate conduct in his situation.

He fell back on his bed and carded a hand through his hair, imagining what she would tell him. ‘ _Stop worrying_ ,’ she’d tell him – she was fond of telling him that – ‘ _Just be yourself_.’

But Castiel knew he couldn’t follow her advice, even though it was only imagined. To be himself would be to admit to a man he met in a Mundane club that he wasn’t Mundane, to admit that _actually_ he might very well be part of one of the most influential Natural families in the city. So, being himself was out of the question. But he could be Jimmy – unassuming, basic, only recently fallen on hard times to end up in this neighbourhood, but otherwise an upstanding man.

This was a new start, he reminded himself. And with that thought, he gathered his courage and walked to Dean’s house.

 ***

Castiel stood at the door for a few minutes before finally knocking on it twice. Within moments the door was opened by Dean, who was leaning against the doorframe trying to look calm and collected (failing miserably, in Castiel’s opinion, but still adorable).

“Ready to go?” Dean asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Castiel smiled and stepped back so that Dean could step into the street. “Yes. What movie do you want to see?”

Dean shrugged as he locked his house door. “I dunno what’s on, actually. Just thought we’d go down and see what’s there.” He turned and held a hand out to Castiel, which he took with hesitation. Dean laced their fingers together and grinned. “Let’s go.”

 ***

They chose a horror movie, to ‘adhere to first date customs’ as Dean said. Castiel didn’t catch the name as Dean bought their tickets, but as soon as they were sitting down in the back of the theatre with their popcorn and candy it clearly didn’t matter.

The moment the lights went down, Dean was moving to put his lips on Castiel’s. The dark haired man pulled back slightly to give Dean a curious look. He saw that Dean looked slightly hurt, though he didn’t know why.

“Shouldn’t we be watching the movie?” Castiel asked, trying to keep his voice low so as to not disturb the people around them.

Now Dean looked confused. “We sat in the back. It’s a first date. We got tickets to a really shitty looking horror movie…. Jimmy, have you never been on a date before?

Castiel cringed at Dean’s use of his fake name but tried not to let it show. He glared at Dean. “Of course I have. Just clearly not the same kind as you.”

“Do you – do you wanna watch the movie?” Dean asked, almost shy now.

Castiel glanced at the screen just as the woman gave an obviously fake scream, then turned back to Dean. “Not really.”

Dean grinned and leaned back in. “Me neither.” They were both smiling as they kissed, leaning into each other and carding hands through hair. Castiel knew that he could easily get used to this.

 ***

It was dark as they walked down the street to Dean’s house, the street only lit intermittently with old streetlamps. Castiel could hear them buzzing. It was something that he was getting used to since moving into the non-magic section of the city, all this noise. _Everything_ electric made noise – lights, kitchen appliances, washing machines. Castiel was used to an environment with low amounts of electricity – televisions, radios, cars. Almost everything else was run on old enchantments, tried by the test of time and proven true.

Quite frankly, it was giving him a headache.

They reached Dean’s house much more quickly than he would have liked. For a moment, they stood in front of the door and just looked at each other.

“So,” Dean said. “I had a nice time tonight.”

Castiel smiled. “So did I. I’d like to do that again, soon.”

“Good, ‘cause I would, too.” Dean let out an awkward laugh. “I don’t want to say goodnight,” he admitted.

“I don’t, either.”

Dean licked his lips. “Would you… would you like to come in?”

Instead of answering right away, Castiel leaned down and kissed him soundly. They’d spent nearly the whole moving making out like teenagers in the back, until another spectator had called one of the theatre employees in to kick them out, so the kiss was a familiar one, but it wasn’t any less exciting than the others. “I’d love to,” he murmured.

 ***

Castiel sighed and pushed his nose against Dean’s throat, turning to press as much of his body as possible against the other man’s side. He could feel Dean laugh and brush a hand through his hair.

“You’re like a cat,” Dean murmured, voice rough from sleep.

“’M tired and you’re warm,” he responded, making Dean laugh more.

“Would you let me go to make breakfast?”

Castiel shook his head. “Not hungry.”

Dean sighed and settled back against the bed, pulling Castiel up onto his chest in a more comfortable position. “Back to bed it is.”

Castiel pressed his lips gently against Dean’s chest and then settled back with a contented smile on his face.

 ***

It was some time after noon when they finally got out of bed and got dressed, Castiel donning one of Dean’s old t-shirts and a pair of distressed jeans. He felt awkward and out of place, used to wearing his suit and trench coat.

But then Dean slipped his hands into Castiel’s back pockets, pulling them flush against each other, murmured, “You look good in my clothes,” into his ear, and Castiel began to see the benefit of expanding his wardrobe.

They bought pastries and coffee at a café around the corner from Dean’s house and ate them sitting in the big bay window of the shop. When Dean grinned at him over the rim of his coffee cup, Castiel felt his own grin forming in response.

He knew that if he let himself, he could get used to this.


	3. six months later

Castiel flipped to the last page of his book just his apartment door burst open. He glanced up to see Dean standing there grinning, hair windswept. Dean opened his mouth to speak but Castiel stopped him with a finger, moving his eyes back to his page to finish it.

He shut the back cover of the book and set it down on the table next to him, finally looking up at Dean who was almost shaking with whatever it was he had to say. Castiel felt his lips curve into a smile at the now familiar sight.

“You’ll never guess what I found!” Dean exclaimed, finally running over to Castiel and crouching down next to his armchair.

Castiel bit back his grin as he leaned towards Dean conspiratorially. “What is it?”

Dean reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a thick, silver ring. It was covered in patterns that made Castiel feel as if someone had snuck up behind him and dumbed ice over his head. “It’s a magic ring,” Dean informed him, confirming his suspicions. “It’s, uh – well, I kinda have something I gotta tell you.”

Castiel felt confusion colour his features and elected not to answer Dean, who continued on regardless.

“My family, well… they’re all Naturals. We weren’t a super prominent family or anything, but you know how Naturals are,” he laughed nervously. “But I – well, I’m not. I was born Mundane. And they hated that – hated me. I left them and came here, tried to make my own life and forget about it, but then I found this! Do you know what this means?”

Castiel shook his head, tumultuous emotions bubbling inside him and fighting for dominance.

“If I put this on, I can pretend to be a Natural. I can get into their clubs, parties… if I can get in, I can learn about them. Take them down from the inside.” Dean looked up at Castiel now, grinning widely. His eyes sparkled boyishly, though Castiel knew there was little innocence behind them anymore.

“Why would you want that?” Castiel finally asked, pulling himself together for just long enough to speak.

Dean looked confused. “Why wouldn’t I? Jim, Naturals treat us like shit. Have since… well, forever. I think it’s time we switched up the order of things – take ‘em down a peg, at least.”

“I just – that’s not safe. You could get yourself killed.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He shrugged. “One for the many and all the jazz.”

Castiel reached out and covered Dean’s hands with his own. “It’s too big to do on your own, Dean.”

The corner of Dean’s mouth turned up. “I’ve got you.”

Castiel tried to swallow down his fear and smiled back at Dean weakly. “You’ve got me.”

***

“My brother is a lawyer,” Dean informed Castiel in the kitchen that evening. “He fights for equal rights for Mundanes and he’s agreed to help me out. He’s a Natural.”

Castiel nodded and looked down into the boiling pot of pasta on the stove. “So he’ll make sure you’re okay? Safe?”

Dean shifted awkwardly. “Well, kind of. I can’t go to the same events my family does, because they all know I’m Mundane. Our parents are both dead, but our cousins are still around. Sam’ll tell me what events they won’t be at.”

“I guess that’s safer than nothing.”

Dean walked up behind Castiel and ran his hands up the other man’s arms before hooking his chin over Castiel’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine,” he murmured. “I promise.”

Castiel let out a deep breath and sank backwards into Dean’s arms, now wrapped around his middle. “Just be careful.”

“I will.” He turned his face and pressed a kiss to Castiel’s cheek. “I love you.”

Castiel turned to kiss Dean’s mouth. “Love you, too,” he murmured. “But the pasta’s going to burn if you keep distracting me.”

Dean immediately pulled back and lifted his hands as if to show innocence. “’M not doing anything.”

“Yes, I believe you,” Castiel responded sarcastically. Then he laughed and shook his head as he turned back to the pasta. “Get bowls; make yourself useful.”

There was noise behind him as Dean opened the cupboard and took out two bowls, setting them heavily on the table before shutting the cupboard and opening a drawer to get cutlery. He let that clang onto the wooden table as Castiel shut off the oven’s heat and removed the pot from the element.

They strained the pasta and then split it evenly into the bowls, pouring the hot sauce over it and then sprinkling it generously with parmesan. Dean dug in as soon as it was ready and Castiel watched him. It didn’t take long before Dean looked up and saw his boyfriend gazing at him. He immediately looked down, blushing.

“What’re you lookin’ at,” he muttered.

Castiel smiled. “You.”

“Sap.” Under the table, Dean kicked out and hooked Castiel’s ankle.

“You aren’t one to talk.”

Dean grinned. “At least I don’t watch people while they eat. Or sleep.”

“I can’t help it; you’re very attractive.”

Choosing not to reply, Dean stood up and bent over the table to kiss Castiel soundly. He laughed and batted Dean away. “Eat.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Dean sat back down and dug in again.

With a grin, Castiel took his first bite.


	4. Chapter 4

To say that Castiel was fretting would be the understatement of the century. He was quickly ruining his already threadbare carpet with his pacing, waiting for Dean to get back.

It was a bad idea – Castiel knew that. The worst idea anyone had possibly had, ever. But there was no dissuading Dean when he got his mind on something, so Castiel was left waiting. Alone. He didn’t even know the full extent of Dean’s plans, to make matters worse. He wasn’t even sure that he _wanted_ to know.

Castiel knew that, at some point during this insane mission, Dean was going to run into Castiel’s family. It was unavoidable – the Novaks were everywhere. For all that Castiel knew, Dean could be flirting and dancing with his sisters as Castiel paced across his apartment.

He stopped dead in his tracks and squeezed his eyes shut, pressing the base of his palms into his eyes.

“Stop,” he said out loud to himself. “He’ll be fine. He’s smart.” He pretended to be convinced for all of five minutes before his fretting started again. No matter how much he told himself that Dean _would_ be alright and _would_ come home, he still worried.

At long last he heard the apartment door swing open and was greeted by a familiar, tired voice.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Castiel felt his entire body sag, the exhaustion from waiting up the past few hours finally catching up with his body. He let out a tired laugh at Dean’s words and grinned brightly when his boyfriend walked into the room.

Dean had already removed his bow tie and unbuttoned his top few buttons. He quickly crossed the room to wrap Castiel up in his arms, swaying them gently.

“Did you have a good time?” Castiel asked half-heartedly against Dean’s neck. He pressed a kiss there and pushed off Dean’s suit jacket.

Dean tilted his head to give Castiel better access. “It was awful,” he answered. “They’re all so pretentious. I’m glad to be back here, with you.” He moved his head to smile at Castiel then leaned down to kiss him on the mouth, long and slow. “So glad.”

Castiel shivered as Dean reached under his shirt with cold hands in an attempt to remove it. He untucked Dean’s button-up before helping remove his own shirt, and when they kissed again it was with a passion that hadn’t been there before. Gone were their lazy, languid attempts to undress, replaced by a frenzied need to feel skin to skin. To reassure themselves that the other was there, that they were alright.

Dean had his hands fumbling with Castiel’s jean button and Castiel was steadily working Dean’s belt free from the loops of his dress pants. They moved together until Castiel had his back pressed against the wall next to the bedroom door.

“Want you,” Castiel moaned as Dean started to kiss along his jaw.

“Soon,” Dean promised. “Just – as soon – as I can – _there_.” Castiel’s jean button finally came undone and Dean slid the zipper down before pushing the pants to the floor.

Castiel huffed a sigh and continued trying to work with the nearly impossible button on Dean’s dress pants. “Help me out here?”

Dean laughed and reached between them to try and unhook it, but with both sets of hands it got complicated so Castiel batted Dean’s hands away and _finally_ got the button undone. The zipper nearly tore when he pulled it down quickly after that.

“Thank fuck,” Dean muttered, moving back in for a kiss. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Without breaking the kiss, Dean reached behind Castiel and jiggled the doorknob until the door popped open. Castiel let himself be manipulated, taking steps backwards as Dean walked forwards, until the backs of his shins hit the bed frame.

He sat down and pulled Dean on top of him until the other man was straddling his waist. Dean shifted to grind down on him as Castiel gripped his hips tightly.

“Closer,” Dean moaned, putting a hand in the middle of Castiel’s chest and pushing until he fell back onto the comforter. Dean was on him immediately, kissing his chest and neck. He trailed his hand down across Castiel’s abdomen before shoving it under his waistband, wrapping his hand around him.

Castiel gasped and bucked his hips, pushing up against Dean’s hand. “Someone’s eager,” Dean chuckled. Castiel glared at him half-heartedly and surged up to kiss him, effectively shutting him up. Using the distraction, he flipped their positions to end up on top of Dean.

“You have no idea,” he murmured, pressing down and latching on to Dean’s neck with the intent to leave a mark.

Dean moaned, digging his fingernails into Castiel’s back. “If you keep that up,” he said between panted breaths, “this’ll be over before it’s even started.”

Castiel smirked. “We can always go again.”

Dean tossed his head back, half in exasperation and have in ecstasy at Castiel’s mouth and tongue working along his neck. “You’re _killing_ me.”

“Maybe, but you like it.”

With that, Dean grabbed Castiel’s shoulders and pulled him up so that he could kiss him properly. Castiel secured his knees on either side of Dean’s waist and slowly rolled his hips down. Dean moved up at the same time and slowly they came to an awkward sort of rhythm.

Dean struggled to reach between them to pushed their underwear out of the way enough that he could wrap his hand around both of them, stroking slowly.

Castiel dropped his head to rest at the junction between Dean’s neck and shoulder, breathing heavily. Pleasure coursed through him and he felt the tension build slowly in the pit of his stomach. He finished with a gasp, collapsing on top of Dean, content and sated.

 “We should get cleaned up,” Dean suggested after a minute, his chest still heaving.

With a sigh, Castiel stood up, and then promptly laid back down next to Dean. “Go get a cloth,” he murmured.

“Hey! I was the one out dancing. You were just here all night,” Dean protested.

Castiel looked at him pleadingly. “Please?”

Dean rolled his eyes but stood up, making Castiel grin. “The things I’ll do for you...” he muttered, exasperated at himself.

“Thank you!” Castiel called after him.

Dean came back from the bathroom and threw the wet washcloth onto Castiel’s stomach. He quickly washed himself and then went over to Dean to return the favour.

Finally, after the long evening they’d both had, they collapsed together on Castiel’s bed and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I started another fic (probably misguidedly) so I'm not sure how soon the next update of this will be. Probably within the next two weeks, hopefully. I'm trying to alternate writing that one and this one so... we'll see. The other one is a Halloween Ghost!Cas fic so if that's your thing, please check it out!! It would be really appreciated :)


	5. Chapter 5

It was only three weeks before Dean started to directly receive invitations to parties and high-class Natural functions. Well, Sam received invitations for Dean, because Dean couldn’t exactly give out his real address without immediately revealing his true status as well as their ruse.

The hardest part for Castiel was at night, when either Dean came over to his apartment or he went to Dean’s townhouse, and Dean experimented with magic tricks using the ring he’d found. He struggled most with making his movements appear natural and subconscious despite the fact that he grew up around Naturals. Castiel struggled most with trying to keep himself from demonstrating the correct techniques, pretending that he knew less than Dean about how Natural magic worked.

“Sam’s been teaching me,” Dean remarked one night, beaming with pride. “He makes it look easy. At least I don’t feel like an idiot doing this in front of you.” He turned to look at the other man, eyes twinkling, and Castiel could barely fake a smile in return.

Lately, he’d felt almost physically sick with the lies he’d told Dean. Even if there had been the slightest possibility that Dean would have liked him, knowing that he was a Natural, it was now totally impossible with how much Castiel had lied. Still, he resolved to keep it a secret. He intended to keep it that way forever, if at all possible, though he knew realistically that it wasn’t. Because of that knowledge, he vowed to enjoy the time he was given now before the inevitable fall out.

Castiel reached over and grabbed Dean’s wrist, effectively stopping his magic show and pulling him down onto the couch. Dean immediately moved into a more comfortable position, straddling Castiel’s waist.

He searched Dean’s eyes for a moment. “I love you,” Castiel said solemnly, and with more conviction than he’d had in the previous seven months. Dean reached up and caressed Castiel’s cheek, making his eyes close as he leaned into the touch.

“I love you, too,” he murmured, and Castiel could feel Dean’s breath ghosting across his lips and cheeks.

Castiel didn’t tilt his head for a kiss immediately, choosing instead to bask in the moment. This warmth of love and intimacy was something that Castiel was wildly unfamiliar with, making it nearly overwhelming to him. He felt a smile on his own face and Dean let out a shaky laugh.

“Can I kiss you now?” Dean asked.

Instead of answering, Castiel tilted his head, slotting their lips together comfortably. Moments like these made him feel like they were matching puzzle pieces, whole in their own respects but better together. He could only hope that this would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updates taking so long! I updated Leave the Lights On (Keep Talking), and have also posted by DCBB! So, if you like my writing, maybe go check those out? At least the latter is finished :)
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me through this!


	6. Chapter 6

Dean walked in at three in the morning looking scared.

The soft tread of his footsteps was enough to rouse Castiel from where he’d been napping on the couch, so he lifted up his head to watch his boyfriend attempt to walk silently into his bedroom.

“I’m over here,” Castiel said quietly, making Dean freeze where he stood. He observed the lines in Dean’s posture, taking in the tense curve of his shoulders and spine, the way his hands were very nearly shaking. “What happened tonight?” He wanted more than anything to offer comfort, but Dean looked like he was ready to bolt at any sudden movements.

After a moment, Dean made his way over to the couch and sat down on the arm by Castiel’s head, still not meeting his eyes. “I saw someone,” he admitted after a minute or so of silence.

“Oh? Someone you used to know? I thought Sam was making sure that wouldn’t happen.”

Dean shook his head. “No, someone who… well, someone who looked like you.”

Castiel felt his breathing hitch and then tried to compose himself. “They say on average there are six other people in the world who look almost just like you.”

“It was a woman,” Dean amended. “She had your eyes.”

He knew immediately who Dean must have seen – his younger sister, Hael. Everyone had always said they could be twins. “Blue eyes are fairly common, Dean,” Castiel said with a small laugh, trying to alleviate the mood and change the topic as quickly and inconspicuously as possible.

Dean shook his head. “Not like that. They were the same shape, the same colour… do you have Naturals in your family, Jimmy? I won’t care if you do; you know I do, so I can’t really.”

Castiel swallowed thickly at the use of his fake name. He wondered if admitting it would be more incriminating than not, but if he revealed that he _was_ related to Hael, then Dean would easily be able to figure out who _he_ was.

“Probably,” he said eventually, looking anywhere but at Dean. “It’s statistically likely.”

Not a lie, but not the truth, either.

Dean nodded. “Alright.”

The silence that fell over them wasn’t the comfortable ones that Castiel had grown used to. This silence was thick with tension and all the truths that he was keeping to himself. He knew Dean could tell that there were things he was leaving out but they were both too tired to continue any sort of conversation.

“Are you gonna sleep here or are you gonna come to bed with me?” Dean asked, not quite breaking the tension so much as alleviating it for the time being.

Castiel heaved himself off the couch and took Dean’s hand. “The bed would be best.”

Dean nodded and allowed himself to be lead into the bedroom.

***

Castiel wakes up alone. The bed is still warm on the side next to his, indicating that Dean had only been gone for a few minutes. A sleepy smile spread on his face, thinking of Dean in the kitchen making breakfast. The smile fell when he realized that he couldn’t smell anything cooking or even hear the shower running. The apartment was completely silent.

Slowly, as if afraid of attack, Castiel got out of bed and pulled on his house coat. He eased the bedroom door open and walked through the living room, then to the kitchen-plus-dining room. Dean was nowhere to be found.

Castiel let out a deep breath, letting his body sag into a straight-backed chair. He put his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands and that’s when it caught his eye – the photograph.

It was a few years old and featured himself grinning carelessly at the camera, a single flower grasped in his hands. The flower was violently purple and yellow, with an air of unreality about it that magic items usually held. If that wasn’t incriminating enough, he wasn’t alone in the photograph. The arm that wasn’t holding the flower was thrown around a shorter girl who looked very like him – Hael. She was grinning at the camera so you could see her face clearly, making no mistake of who she was.

Castiel felt as if he was in a dream, and he watched as his own hands picked up the photograph to look more closely at it, like if he concentrated hard enough it would disappear. He turned it over slowly, not entirely sure of why he was doing it. At the top, their names were written in a flowing cursive – ‘ _Castiel & Hael, Summer 2010_’. That, he expected; he’d watched his mother write it. What he hadn’t expected was the new addition, a single word in boxy letters. ‘ _Why?_ ’.

It was Dean’s handwriting; he’d seen it on grocery lists enough over the past few months to recognize it immediately.

He had the sudden, wild impulse to tear the picture in half, but he didn’t. Taking a deep breath, he put it down, pushing it as far away from himself as he could reach. His head finally dropped down to his hands and he leaned heavily on his elbows, the realizing that Dean knew _everything_ making his head feel almost heavy with the enormity of it.

***

Castiel waited until that evening to walk down the winding streets to Dean’s townhouse, feeling more afraid than he ever had before.

With a trembling hand, he knocked on Dean’s front door. It was nearing fifteen minutes before Castiel heard footsteps walking towards him, and the door was opened slowly.

“What do you want?” Dean asked, sounding tired.

“To explain.” Castiel felt like he was begging and he didn’t want to beg for this, but he also realized that he’d do almost anything to make Dean understand. “Please, Dean. Let me explain.”

Dean ran a hand through his hair. “How can I trust you? How do I know your explanation won’t be another lie?”

“I never wanted to lie to you, but I had to. Because I knew you’d hate me, like you do now. And I didn’t want that. But now what do I have to lose?” He laughed even though he felt like crying.

Dean didn’t answer his question directly, instead choosing another route of conversation. “Can you at least tell me one thing?”

“Anything,” Castiel agreed quickly, jumping at any chance he was being given.

“I want to know your real name.”

He bit his lip and then answered slowly. “Castiel Novak,” he said. “I’m not Jimmy. I’m sorry.”

“Castiel,” Dean repeated slowly, like he was tasting the name on his tongue, feeling the shape of it roll around in his mouth.

 He nodded slowly, almost allowing himself to think that this was a good sign. Logically, he knew that Dean would recognize the name from the back of the picture, and more than that – countless articles written about the Novak family. Rarely was Castiel himself pictured in the media, and for that he was grateful, but his name was always there alongside that of his siblings.

Dean’s eyes hardened suddenly as he shut down again, anger still apparent in his frame. “Leave, Castiel,” he said, and hearing Dean say his real name like that stung so much more than he ever thought it could. “Just… leave, please.”

The door slammed shut so quickly that Castiel felt like he had whiplash. He recovered after a moment and turned around, slowly trudging back the way he’d come.

It was time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter.

Castiel decided to only stay as long as it took him to pack up his things, leaving anything that wasn’t essential out of the boxes. It was a week of being completely alone before there was a knock on the door, and he figured it was the apartment manager coming to ask for his last rent check.

It wasn’t.

When Castiel opened the door, Dean was standing on the other side. He felt his entire body lock up in fear and confusion, having no idea why the other man was there.

They stand there frozen for a moment before Dean grinned sheepishly. “So… you’re a Natural?”

Castiel nodded silently, not wanting to speak and destroy the tentative truce.

“You know,” Dean said, “I might not be a Natural with magic, but I’m a natural at other things.” He looked uncomfortable, like speaking the awful attempt at a come-on was causing him physical pain.

“What are you doing?” Castiel asked, because his confusion was greater than his need to pretend that everything was alright.

Dean sighed. “I’m trying again,” he admitted. “I – you know I love you. That isn’t just… going away because you lied. And we met while drunk in a bar, so I figured a terrible pick up line was what I could do to start over.”

“Don’t you… want to know everything?”

“Well, yeah. I wanna walk into this with my eyes open, you know? But I just wanted you to know that if there’s a good explanation then I’m willing to try again.”

Castiel licked his lips and then stepped back, gesturing to the inside of his apartment. “Well, come in. I’ll tell you everything.”

***

Dean sat at Castiel’s dining room table looking uncomfortable and out of place.

“Do you want something to drink?” Castiel offered.

Dean shook his head no. “I’m fine.”

Finally running out of things to distract himself with, Castiel sat down across from Dean at the table. “So, you know of my family.”

“Who doesn’t?” Dean scoffed.

“Valid.” Castiel nodded slowly. “Then you know they are very… traditional.” He paused for a moment. “I didn’t agree with their… derision towards Mundanes.”

“Is that why you left?”

Castiel shook his head and then stopped, considering it. “Not entirely, but in part, yes. It was years and years of putting up with their ignorance and general bigotry. That, and they didn’t approve of my… ‘lifestyle’ as they put it. My mother always asked me when I would find myself a wife. It just all became too much.”

Dean nodded slowly along with his story. “And that’s… all? You left _everything_ you knew because of that?”

“It seemed like the best choice at the time,” he said with a shrug. “And, after meeting you, I can’t say that I regret it. I wouldn’t give back a minute of our relationship for anything.”

“But why did you have to lie about your name? And your status?”

“You know why; they would have found me otherwise.” Castiel ran a hand through his hair. “They would have found me and taken me back to their mansion on the hill and locked me up again. It’s likely that I would have eventually been forced into an arranged marriage and I never would have had the opportunity to be with you. If I had already met you by the time they found me, they would have killed you, or worse. As for never telling you I was a Natural, well, would you have given me a second glance if you’d known?”

Dean looked down at his hands, clasped together on the dirty table top. “No,” he admitted.

They sat in silence for a moment, both staring down at the table.

Castiel cleared his throat. “So, after hearing all that, do you want to stay or leave? I won’t stop you or blame you if you still want to leave.”

Dean bit his lip in contemplation. “I understand everything you’ve said. And I still love you. But I don’t know how much I can trust you.”

“I can give you reasons to trust me again; I’ll do anything,” he said adamantly.

Dean thought about it. “I’ve still been going to parties, getting to know people on that side of the fence. You could come with me some time; they know you, they’ll trust you.”

“I don’t know if I can do that, Dean; they might kill me, or both of us.” Castiel felt a shiver of fear run through him before he saw a playful look in Dean’s eyes, making confusion replace the fear.

“Well,” Dean said, “I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as stated in the before chap notes, this is the last chapter! I hope you've all enjoyed this story and I wish you all happy holidays this year :)


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